This archive report was first published on 15 November 2019.
According to a report by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the number of people online in developed countries is significantly higher, at nearly 87%.
Despite the growth in internet users, with an estimated 4.1 billion people using the internet this year, a 5.3% increase from last year, the digital divide persists.
Between 2005 and 2019, the number of internet users grew on average by 10% every year, with the global penetration rate increasing from nearly 17% in 2005 to over 53% in 2019.
However, the report notes that global growth rates are not as high as they were a decade ago, due to some parts of the world reaching saturation levels.
Mobile subscriptions, on the other hand, show a weaker correlation between level of development and uptake, reflecting the better affordability and availability of mobile connections compared to fixed networks.
Interestingly, households are more likely to have internet access at home than to have a computer, as internet access is also possible through other devices.
However, in Africa and lower-developing countries, very few households have either internet access or a computer.
Almost the entire world population (97%) lives within reach of a mobile cellular signal, with more than 95% of the population in Asia and the Pacific, Europe, and the Americas covered by a 3G or higher network.
However, there is a significant gender gap in internet access, with men having more access than women, particularly in Africa, where internet usage for men stands at 33% compared to women's 20.7%.
As ITU Director Doreen Bogdan-Martin noted, 'Latest figures show that while internet use continues to spread, the digital gender gap is also growing. More effective action is urgently needed to address a range of barriers – cultural, financial and skills-related – that are impeding internet uptake, especially among women.'
